This one took me a leisurely 37 minutes so I imagine some of the speed-merchants will be home within 10 today. There’s a reminder of the winter weather to come at 17ac and 16dn, and the drink at 22ac is sour and cold, but inner warmth is available courtesy of 12ac and 23ac. Here’s my blog…
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | First rule picked up? (9) |
| PRINCIPAL – Sounds like [picked up] “principle” (rule) | |
| 6 | Screw up — and down? (5) |
| FLUFF – Two definitions. Actors may screw up their performance by fluffing their lines. Down or fluff as on ducklings. | |
| 9 | A pistol shot that’s carried on a yard (7) |
| TOPSAIL – Anagram [shot] of A PISTOL. I know that sailing ships have yardarms and I take the nautical definition on trust. | |
| 10 | Work to preserve vale (7) |
| CANTATA – CAN (preserve), TA-TA (vale – farewell) | |
| 11 | Female parent less chubby (3) |
| HER – {fat}HER (parent) [less chubby – with fat removed] | |
| 12 | Unseemly Ryder Cup row that heats up the course (5,6) |
| CURRY POWDER – Anagram [unseemly] of RYDER CUP ROW and a cryptic reference to food in the definition. The courses for the Ryder Cup alternate between Europe and the USA, and I gather from Vinyl1’s remarks yesterday that it is currently taking place west of the pond. | |
| 14 | Call a number on the phone to speak at length (6) |
| DILATE – Allegedly sounds like [on the phone] “dial” (call), “eight” (number). I didn’t know this definition of “dilate” but the wordplay made the answer inevitable. | |
| 15 | Figure lying back on table finds earwig (6,2) |
| LISTEN IN – LIST (table), NINE (figure) reversed [lying back]. I’m not sure if this meaning is known widely outside the UK. | |
| 17 | Icy peninsula gripped by polar extremes (8) |
| SIBERIAN – IBERIA (peninsula) contained [gripped] by S and N (polar extremes). More on this at 16dn. | |
| 19 | Fastener is essential (6) |
| STAPLE – Two definitions, the second as in “staple diet” | |
| 22 | Resentful, failure in the drink (6,5) |
| BITTER LEMON – BITTER (resentful), LEMON (failure) | |
| 23 | Funny / tipple (3) |
| RUM – Two definitions with “funny” in the sense of “odd”. The second defintion can be any usually alcholic drink as in “what’s your tipple?” | |
| 25 | Food in a green nut’s shell (7) |
| ALIMENT – A, LIME (green), N{u}T (‘s shell) | |
| 27 | Hooligan gathering support: that’s arranged (4,3) |
| LAID OUT – LOUT (hooligan) containing [gathering] AID (support) | |
| 28 | A number enjoy computer science (5) |
| DIGIT – DIG (enjoy), IT (computer science) | |
| 29 | Unknown relative caught by bear, he acted (4,5) |
| CARY GRANT – Y (unknown) + GRAN (relative) contained [caught] by, CART (bear). The Hollywood actor born in Bristol as Archibald Leach. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Substance containing cold, distilled residue (5) |
| PITCH – PITH (substance ) containing C (cold). I’ve never really thought about what this is, but apparently it’s the residue from the distillation of wood tar or turpentine. | |
| 2 | Sovereign refusing a compromise (7) |
| IMPERIL – IMPERI{a}L (sovereign) [refusing a] | |
| 3 | Dear to secure a tender rump, piece of meat in butcher’s shop (11) |
| CHARCUTERIE – CHERIE (dear) contains [to secure] A + {tende}R [rump) + CUT (piece of meat) | |
| 4 | Sidekick shot Mickey Mouse (6) |
| PALTRY – PAL (sidekick), TRY (shot) | |
| 5 | Matter of chance to see girl swim round close to creek (5,3) |
| LUCKY DIP – LUCY (girl) contains [round] {cree}K [close], DIP (swim) | |
| 6 | Devotee following a name (3) |
| FAN – F (following), A, N (name) | |
| 7 | Mount to climb in African country, not South African (7) |
| UGANDAN – NAG (mount – horse) reversed [to climb] inside {s}UDAN (African country) [not South] | |
| 8 | State bottling wind up in Cologne (9) |
| FRAGRANCE – FRANCE (state) containing [bottling] RAG (wind up – tease). A definition by example with reference to Eau de Cologne. | |
| 13 | A1 is unfinished (11) |
| OUTSTANDING – Two definitions | |
| 14 | Ruin meals for the panel (9) |
| DASHBOARD – DASH (ruin – one’s hopes, perhaps), BOARD (meals – e.g. full/half board, meals included) | |
| 16 | Graceful and flowing, Lake Erie finally freezing all round? (8) |
| BALLETIC – BALTIC (freezing) containing [all round] L (lake) + {Eri}E [finally]. After icy Siberia we now have the freezing Baltic. Actually, although “Baltic” has made it to some of the usual sources as a synonym for very cold, “Siberian” has not, though I’d have thought it was common enough. | |
| 18 | In time, note included in report (7) |
| BATTING – T (time) + TI (note) included in BANG (report). The ins and outs of cricket once again. | |
| 20 | Climbers on this mountain admitting a brute to ascend? (7) |
| PERGOLA – ALP (mountain) containing [admitting] OGRE (brute) all reversed [to ascend] | |
| 21 | One walker or another wiping brow? (6) |
| AMBLER – {r}AMBLER (another – walker) with “wiping brow” as an unusual deletion indicator and one that only works for a Down clue. | |
| 24 | Tyre’s outside in vehicle test, part of the service? (5) |
| MOTET – T{yr}E [‘s outside] in MOT (vehicle test – Ministry of Transport). The ministry has changed its title over the years but the name of the safety check survives. Like the cantata at 10ac a motet can be a religious piece that’s part of a church service. | |
| 26 | Piece of furniture, a table put away (3) |
| EAT – Hidden [[piece of] {furnitur}E A T{able} | |
The frosty theme was taken to heart here where it’s been unseasonally cold for the end of September: Siberian and Baltic describe the icy winds perfectly.
Is bitter lemon still in use? Gin and bitter lemon was a stock summer tipple at my parent’s house fifty years ago.
And yes, the Ryder Cup will be played in the USA, at Hazeltine.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Last 4 minutes spent on the 9a/2d crossers, with IMPERIL first to fall, sailing being out there with science as one of my weak suits.
Go Doggies!
The smart money says no.
1. DUSTBOARD is not a word. Not sure why I ever imagined it was, especially when it doesn’t even fit the clue.
2. Others considered the beast to in fact be a “leisurely” solve.
3. I suffered the ultimate ignominy for the second day in a row (see above).
None of which was the setter’s fault of course. Well done, COD to BATTING. And thanks for the blog Jack.
And speaking of which, and lots of talk of beasts this morning, have you tried today’s Quickie yet? Judging by my solving time, most of which was taken up by the 13-letter answers, I’d say IT is a bit of a beast, as befits its number!
Edited at 2016-09-27 05:27 am (UTC)
LOI in 18dn BATTING – terrible clue even if you are into cricket. The clue could have been simply – In(7)
God help America! FOI 12ac CURRY POWDER.
COD PALTRY – Mickey Mouse takes a hit! As did Donald ‘Duck’ this morning.
WOD CARY GRANT
horryd Shanghai
Steady progress for me, finishing with the tricky UGANDAN, where I suspected a trap until the penny dropped on the definition being “African”, not a horse or a mountain!
jackkt, I like your idea of RUM and CURRY POWDER as internal heat sources for the cold months ahead. Sounds like a cocktail in need of a name.
I did at least get the whole east side, including biffing local lad CARY GRANT (there’s a statue to him not far from here in Bristol) but the west mostly defeated me.
I like 12A. More topical than you might think because the US captain has been saying some provocative things ahead of Friday’s start. Good clue setter.
I admit being puzzled by the wordplay for FRAGRANCE, failing to spot that there are three ways to divide the clue, not just two, and wondering what GRA or AGR had to do with anything. So thanks Jack for removing the veil.
CARY GRANT reminded me instantly of the “How old Cary Grant?” “Old Cary Grant fine. How you?” exchange. Pity it wasn’t him after all.
Principal was the chief Dean Martin of the day.
I would make one request though – Jackkt’s presentation of the clues with the answers, underlined definitions and explanations is exemplary and exactly what one needs. On some other similar sites everybody seems to take a lot of trouble in a similar way but on here some don’t.
It would be really appreciated if everyone would do the same – sometimes, certainly with tougher clues, what’s posted is not much help after all. Not all of us are as erudite as some of the bloggers!
As verlaine suggests, if minimal explanations are given there is always the option for other contributors to raise queries and that encourages interchange and discussion which surely is to be welcomed. In any case, explanations of clues are generally far more detailed now than in the days when I started coming here (nearly 10 years ago now) when it seemed nearly everybody who contributed (apart from me) was an expert.
If I give a little more detail than some it’s because I blog both 15x15s and the Quickies and it helps me to use the same style for both rather than employing different mindsets. Also since the introduction of the Quick Cryptic I’ve become conscious that many newbies are trying to make the transition to the main puzzle.
Edited at 2016-09-27 04:46 pm (UTC)
Can’t believe there aren’t pergolas in Antipodea.
Liked in = batting.
I don’t recall coming across BALTIC = “freezing” before and dithered over BALLETIC for a while at the end.
I raise my hat to the setter for composing so many witty clues so economically. COD to 12ac (CURRY POWDER).
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